Package

ABSTRACT

A package for articles comprises a mounting paper having a multi-porous, thermosetting plastics layer bonded to its inner surface, and a covering having a thermoplastic layer bonded to its inner surface. The covering is heat sealed to the mounting paper at the respective peripheral edges.

United States Patent n:

Koremura 1 1 PACKAGE [75] Inventor:

I73] Assignce: .Iinlan Terumo C0.. l.ld.. Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: June 27, 1973 1211 Appl. No.: 373,935

Norio Koremura. Fujinurniya. Japan [30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 30, 1972 Japan 47-65485 [52] US. Cl. 206/484: 206/363. 206/306;

206/212 [51 Int. Cl. 865d 73/00 [58] Field of Search 206/484, 363. 212. 306

[561 References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Lee 206/484 Lee 206/363 llll 3,887,072

1 1 June 3, I975 3.473.870 11/1969 Scgel 206/484 3.5515511 1/1971 Poncy... 206/306 3.597.302 8/1971 Gerard. 206/484 3.717.244 2/1973 Smithm. 206/484 3.724.651 4/1973 Link 206/363 3.732.975 5/1973 Poncy 206/212 3.744.627 7/1973 Rope 206/484 3.809.217 5/1974 Harrison 206/484 Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assislunt E.\'aminerR0 E. Wart Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Kemon. Palmer and Estabrook [57] ABSTRACT A package for articles comprises a mounting paper having a multi-porous, thermosetting plastics layer bonded to its inner surface, and a covering having a thermoplastic layer bonded to its inner surface. The covering is heat sealed to the mounting paper at the respective peripheral edges.

7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures HTFE'FTEHJUEI 3 191a 3.887; 072

PACKAGE This invention relates to a package capable of holding a surgical instrument or appliance between a mounting paper and a emering which are heat sealed at the respective surrounding side edges. particularly a package involving no unsatisfactory peeling-off of the mounting paper as often occurs during the unpacking operation.

It is conventionally known to hold a medical instrument or appliance such as a syringe between a mounting paper and a hot-melting plastics sheet and thermally seal the peripheral edges of these members. However. when a low quality paper is used as a mounting paper. the mounting paper is not completely torn during the unpacking operation and it is again necessary to tear the left portion of the paper in an attempt to gain access to a packaged article. Furthermore. fuzzy or downy fibers fall on the packaged article during the unpacking or tearing operation and it is therefore unsanitary. In order to avoid such situation, a high quality paper or impregnated paper is used instead. Attempt is also made in the prior art to apply an adhesive at a certain interval to that portion of the mounting paper bonded to a covering, so that the bonded portion can be restricted or the adhesive strength can be weakened. However. when the high quality or impregnated paper is employed. a high cost results. Where the adhesive is applied at some interval to the mounting paper. the adhesive is likely to be deteriorated due to aging etc. Moreover. a bond to polyethylene using an adhesive is unstable in its strength.

Also conventionally known is a package obtained by applying a thermoplastic coating on the peripheral surface of one sheet. applying on the corresponding peripheral surface of the other sheet a multi-porous thermoplastic coating higher in its melting point than the first thermoplastic coating. and thermally sealing together these two sheets. In this case, however. it is difficult to provide the multi-porous coating. If the multiporous coating is applied to a paper. then a poor bonding strength is disadvantageously obtained. Furthermore. if a proper temperature control is not effected in an attempt to thermally seal together these two sheets. the shape of these pores is deformed or destroyed at a high temperature involved. Where the shape of these pores is destroyed. both the sheets are firmly sealed through the respective coatings and difficulty is presented in opening the package.

With these in view. a package according to this invention is invented from both technical and economical viewpoints.

An object of this invention is to provide a sanitary. inexpensive package capable of easily gaining access to a packaged article during the unpacking operation.

According to this invention. there is provided a package for surgical instruments in which a surgical instrument is enclosed between a mounting paper and a coy ering in a manner that the peripheral edge of these members is thermally scaled end to end: characterized in that a thermosetting plastics layer liming a multibore pattern is bonded to a mounting paper so that the thcrmosetting plastics layer can be. during the unpacking operation. removed up to a location where a medical instrument can be taken out. and a thermoplastics layer is bonded to all the inner wall of a covering OPPO- site to the mounting paper.

Ill

This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in connection with accompanying drawings. in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a package according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of the package in which a syringe is partly shown;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view showing a mounting paper and an outer covering of the package;

FIGS. 4 to 7 are respectively plan views showing a thermosetting plastics layer applicable to the mounting paper of the package according to this invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view showing the mounting paper and outer covering of the package; and

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 8.

This invention is now explained by reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals are used to show like parts or elements.

As will be evident from FIG. 1 the package according to this invention comprises a mounting paper I and an outer covering 5.

A surgical instrument such as a syringe 4 is enclosed. as shown in FIG. 2. between the mounting paper 1 and the outer covering of the package. in a manner that all the peripheral end portion of the package is heat sealed.

During the unpacking operation. it is only necessary to peel off the end section 8 unsealed between the mounting paper and the outer covering. as shown in FIG. 2.

A thermosetting plastics layer 2 having a plurality of cutouts or bores 3 as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 is covered on the mounting paper 1 of the package according to this invention. The bore 3. when considered from the ease with which the outer covering is stripped off from the mounting paper. is preferably in the geometrical. angular form as shown, for example, in FIG. 6. Use is made. as a thermosetting plastics. of epoxy resins. unsaturated polyester etc. In an attempt to provide a thermosetting plastics layer having cutouts or bores on a mounting paper. various methods may be adapted. For example. a corresponding bore pattern coated on a drum for offset printing may be easily transferred on a mounting paper. A screen printing method may also be used for this purpose. Since the thermosetting plastics. when cured, is firmly bonded to the mounting paper. a strong bond is obtained unlike a thermoplastic resin. The thermosetting plastics layer 2 is applied from the unsealed end section 8 up to a location at which a packaged article can be taken out. The remaining thermosetting plastics-free section of the mounting paper and the corresponding thermoplastic. outer covering are thermally sealed together to form a strong bond as a whole. In this case. a thermosetting plastics can be saved by a corresponding amount.

The outer covering 5 is made of thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene. polycarbonate. saturated polymer etc. As shown in FIG. 3 a thermoplastics layer 6 for thermal scaling is covered all over the inner surface of the covering. Considered from the case in which the plastics layer 6 is thermally fused to form a bond with the thcrmosetting resin it is preferred that the plastics layer 6 have a lower melting point than that of the covering 5.

Where the package so formed is used for enclosing a surgical instrument or appliance. the instrument or appliance is enclosed between the mounting paper I and the outer covering 5.

Then the outer peripheral portion of the covering 5 is heat sealed to the corresponding portion of the mounting paper 1. During this heat scaling operation the plastics layer 6 is softened and enters into the bores or cutout 3 of the plastics layer 2 to cause it to be bonded directly to the exposed portions of the mounting paper. Since the thermosetting plastics layer 2 is not susceptible to heat. the shape of the cutout is not changed. From this it will be understood that the unexposed surface of the mounting paper is intimately supported only by said directly bonded portion.

Viewed from the sanitary point of view. the package according to this invention is more germ-proof than the conventional counterpart in which a multi-porous. thermoplastic coating is applied around a sheet. This will be understandable from the fact that there is the likelihood of germs entering into a contacted portion between thermoplastic coatings and between a thermoplastic layer and a thermosetting plastics layer.

Where a package is sterilized by ethylene oxide etc.. a sterilizing gas penetrates into the exposed portion of the mounting paper and a more rapid sterilization can be attained according to this invention than in a case where a thermosetting plastics coating is applied all over the surface of a mounting paper.

The covering is easily removed from the mounting paper through said unsealed end section of the cover ing. Since the plastics layer 2 is bonded to the surface of the mounting paper. the sealed portion formed between the mounting paper and the plastics layer 6 is retained as its peripheral area by a tension from the thermosetting plastics layer 2.

When the covering is removed, as shown in FlG. 9, from the mounting paper. the removal is smoothly effected. as shown in FIG. 8, without involving no peeling-off of the mounting paper as a whole and stopped at any suitable location so that a content can be easily taken out.

When the peeling section 8 is preliminarily provided at the end edge of the package, the outer covering 5 is bent as shown in FIG. 2 in a manner to seal or intimately contact the peeling-off end edge of the mounting paper. This arrangement permits no infiltration of germs and. during the unpacking operation, no access of germs to the sealed portion of a packaged article. Thus, a very sanitary package can be obtained. (1) is a partial peel-off of the paper.

In addition. a moisture-proof. sterilizing gaspervious plastics film 9 is intimately bonded. as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the outer surface of the mounting sheet. thus preventing swelling of the mounting paper due to moisture as well as infiltration of germs due to water content.

The above-mentioned package is only by way ofillustration. and the concept of this invention can also be applied to a blister package."

As will be evident from the above. a package according to this invention constitutes a significant departure from the prior art counterpart. by applying on the mounting paper a thermosetting plastics layer having a multi-bore pattern. This arrangement prevents an unsatisfactory removal of a mounting paper from a covering as often encountered in the prior art. In another aspect of this invention. a package can be manufactured at low cost without the need of employing as a mounting paper a high quality paper or an impregnated paper.

What is claimed is:

l. A package for an article such as surgical instrument. comprising first and second sheets enclosing an article therebetween, said first sheet comprising a paper layer and a thermosetting plastics layer thereon. said thermosetting plastics layer extending over a peripheral portion of said paper layer and having a plurality of cutouts therein exposing underlying areas of said paper layer. and said second sheet comprising a layer of thermoplastic material. wherein said thermosetting layer on said peripheral portion of said first sheet is in contact with a peripheral portion of said thermoplastic material layer of said second sheet, said thermoplastic material of said second sheet extending through said cutouts in said thermosetting plastics layer and being bonded to said exposed underlying areas of said paper layer.

2. The package as claimed in claim I, wherein said thermosetting plastics layer is formed from epoxy resin or unsaturated polyester.

3. The package as claimed in claim 2. wherein said second sheet includes an outer covering layer on which said thermoplastic layer is formed.

4. The package as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cutouts are of an angular configuration.

5. The package as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first sheet includes an outer moisture-proof plastics film provided on said paper layer.

6. The package as claimed in claim 5, wherein said thermoplastic material layer is turned down along an exposed edge of said paper layer to intimately contact and bond to said exposed edge of said paper layer.

7. A package for surgical instruments comprising first and second sheets enclosing a surgical instrument therebetween. said first sheet comprising a paper layer having thereon a layer consisting of thermosetting plastics selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin and unsaturated polyester. said thermosetting plastics layer extending over a peripheral portion only of said first sheet and having a plurality of cutouts of angular configuration therein exposing underlying areas of said paper layer. and said second sheet comprising a layer of thermoplastic material. said layer of thermoplastic material being in contact with said thermosetting plastics layer with portions of the thermoplastic material extending through said plurality of cutouts and being bonded to said exposed underlying areas of said paper layer. a portion of said thermoplastic material layer extending beyond said first sheet along one edge thereof adjacent said peripheral portion and being turned down along said edge in contact with and bonded to said edge of said first sheet. 

1. A package for an article such as surgical instrument, comprising first and second sheets enclosing an article therebetween, said first sheet comprising a paper layer and a thermosetting plastics layer thereon, said thermosetting plastics layer extending over a peripheral portion of said paper layer and having a plurality of cutouts therein exposing underlying areas of said paper layer, and said second sheet comprising a layer of thermoplastic material, wherein said thermosetting layer on said peripheral portion of said first sheet is in contact with a peripheral portion of said thermoplastic material layer of said second sheet, said thermoplastic material of said second sheet extending through said cutouts in said thermosetting plastics layer and being bonded to said exposed underlying areas of saId paper layer.
 1. A package for an article such as surgical instrument, comprising first and second sheets enclosing an article therebetween, said first sheet comprising a paper layer and a thermosetting plastics layer thereon, said thermosetting plastics layer extending over a peripheral portion of said paper layer and having a plurality of cutouts therein exposing underlying areas of said paper layer, and said second sheet comprising a layer of thermoplastic material, wherein said thermosetting layer on said peripheral portion of said first sheet is in contact with a peripheral portion of said thermoplastic material layer of said second sheet, said thermoplastic material of said second sheet extending through said cutouts in said thermosetting plastics layer and being bonded to said exposed underlying areas of saId paper layer.
 2. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermosetting plastics layer is formed from epoxy resin or unsaturated polyester.
 3. The package as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second sheet includes an outer covering layer on which said thermoplastic layer is formed.
 4. The package as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cutouts are of an angular configuration.
 5. The package as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first sheet includes an outer moisture-proof plastics film provided on said paper layer.
 6. The package as claimed in claim 5, wherein said thermoplastic material layer is turned down along an exposed edge of said paper layer to intimately contact and bond to said exposed edge of said paper layer. 